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A study that included more than 37,000 women ages 65 and older found only 65% of black women were prescribed radiation therapy after an early-stage breast cancer lumpectomy compared with 74% of white women. Health experts say follow-up research is needed to find the causes of the disparity.

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A study that included more than 37,000 women ages 65 and older found only 65% of black women were prescribed radiation therapy after an early-stage breast cancer lumpectomy compared with 74% of white women. Health experts say follow-up research is needed to find the causes of the disparity.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that more young adults last year abused prescription medications while the use of such drugs as cocaine or methamphetamines has decreased. The agency also found that illicit drug use by people ages 55 to 59 doubled from 2006 to 2007.

Combining the painkillers ibuprofen and paracetamol can safely reduce fever in children by almost five hours, U.K. researchers concluded. The finding, which contradicts existing warnings against mixing the drugs, prompted scientists to ask the British National Institute for Clinical Excellence to revise its guidelines on the use of the medicines in children.

Younger women who have Type 1 diabetes show ongoing decreases in bone mineral density, which, over time, could put them at risk for postmenopausal fractures, researchers report. Providers should counsel these patients on lifestyle changes that may improve bone health, such as getting enough calcium, vitamin D and exercise.

A new study suggests that about 45% of U.S. adults will develop arthritis of the knee, a leading cause of disability in adults. Researchers found that obese people are at an increased risk for the condition.